International Development Program (IDP)

One of the core values of the IDP is the diversity in nationalities, personal experience, and goals of enrolled students. The diversity provides enrolled students with one of the most valuable environments for learning about development issues. Faculty members are anxious to develop an academic environment in which the exchange of different ideas among students can take place in an effective manner.

While concepts and theories discussed in the core IDP curriculum reflect the experience of various countries over the world, many applied courses are offered that compare development policies across countries with a focus on the development experiences of Japan and other Asian economies, including NIES, ASEAN countries and China. This is conveniently complemented by IUJ’s location in the heartland of rural Japan and its proximity to some of Asia’s most successful agriculture and technology centers.

Development issues and problems are interdisciplinary in nature. The cultural, historical, and political dimensions of a country and its issues are as important as the socioeconomic context. As a result, IDP students can enroll in the political science and area studies courses offered by the International Relations Program (IRP) and the International Peace Studies Program (IPSP) in the GSIR without any restrictions. Furthermore, students have the option to enroll in courses offered by the MBA program in the Graduate School of International Management to gain deeper insight into corporate policymaking in management, marketing, and finance.

All students are completely functional in English as it is the only official language at IUJ. Both coursework and official communications are conducted in English. Thus, it is not necessary to have a prior knowledge of Japanese in order to study at IUJ. Every effort will be made to assist students in obtaining information on Japan that is available in English. In addition, for non-Japanese-speakers, IUJ offers an excellent Japanese language program for students without any prior knowledge of Japanese. Japanese proficiency will open opportunities for students to serve as a liaison between Japan and their home countries after their return and/or to find jobs in Japan.

Many students are supported by a variety of scholarships offered by different organizations including the ADB, IDB, IMF, JICA, JBIC, Jinnai, Matsushita, Mitsubishi-Yamamuro, and the World Bank. The IUJ Scholarship Fund was established by the Japanese business community in order to offer scholarships to students from Japan and from other countries. This track is also supported by a number of organizations (corporations, governments, and central banks) that send their employees to us. While this track enjoys the support of many organizations, it is beholden to none as it is an independent program with its own mission and objectives, completely free from the interests of any of these organizations.
The program is designed not only for students who wish to pursue careers in the public sector, international aid agencies, or international organizations but for those who wish to work in consulting firms, research institutes, financial institutions, and other private sector companies. Students who successfully complete the IDP receive a Master’s of Arts degree in either International Development or Economics, depending on their choice of the degree program, in which the requirements differ.